(AN)I was sure I had posted the third chapter of this before...Whoops, I guess.
He Ran for His Life in the Dead of Night
He began to reach for the other gun, but stopped...
Zim wasn't attacking. That almost scared Dib more. He couldn't think of any reason for Zim not to attack.
"I think I'd like this game to continue." came the answer, whispered cruelly from the unseen alien. Dib was released and hit the floor roughly.
"This is the highest level you can get to." Zim informed him. That same damn patronizing tone. "I'm going to get a snack. You have until then to hide yourself again."
Dib heard the footsteps going away from him. He reached into his trenchcoat and pulled out the other gun, firing in the direction of the alien. He kept firing, even though he only heard a yell at the beginning. Suddenly he was hit in the back of the head. He fell forward, stunned. Something crunched down on his hand. He figured it was Zim's boot, and the gun was removed.
"Very resourceful, Earth-monkey." Zim stated, his voice seeming to drip venom. Dib was flipped over onto his back, and he felt hands running along the inside of his coat. His head hurt, and he felt as if everything was spinning. Even the darkness seemed to swirl around him. The hands were removed, evidentally satisfied with their search.
Footsteps once again moved away from him, but he just lay on the floor. After the room had been silent for a few moments he forced himself to sit up. He had to keep moving. His first thought was to go up, even if Zim had said it was impossible. Once against a wall, he moved somewhat clumsily along it. He was still shaky from fear, and the adrenaline could only push him so far before his system began shutting down. More than once, he thought of just sitting down and waiting until Zim got back. Maybe the alien would let him go, content with a victory and eager to play again another day. He hadn't shown much conviction with killing the human so far today...
'No. I can't assume anything.' Dib told himself, once more beginning to move. He found a ladder tunnel and thanked the gods as he climbed up it. But when he reached the top he found it closed off with some kind of heavy metal. He smashed his fist into it angrily, feeling his knuckles crack against it. A couple small sobs escaped him.
'So this is it then...' he thought. 'A final battle. Kill...or be killed.' He climbed down the ladder then and began searching the boxes once more. It soon became apparent that finding weapons would take too long. He moved as well as he could back to the elevator, a little surprised when he actually found it.
"Oh, where do you wanna go now?" the computer whined.
"Anywhere." Dib replied.
"Um...okay." the computer said as it began going down. It stopped on a level, and Dib stepped out. He immediately began searching for a hiding spot, not sure of what else to do. Then he found another computer. An idea suddenly struck him, and he pulled the cords from the back of the computer terminal. Then he ran, tripping a couple times, back to the elevator.
"To any other level with a working computer." Dib said. The computer groaned, but obeyed. Dib stumbled out on the new level and cautiously moved forward. This room had loud noises. It would be harder to hear Zim approaching...
That thought made him more nervous, and he moved slower. He wasn't sure where the computer was in this room. Things seemed to feel different. He wasn't sure how he could tell, but he suddenly had a feeling that there was much more space in this area. With each step he grew more and more nervous.
'Why aren't I hitting anything?' he wondered. He hesitated on his next step.
"I'd stop there if I was you." Zim said smugly. Dib froze and lowered his foot.
"Why?" he asked, hating how small his voice sounded.
"That's the end of the walkway."
Dib swallowed hard and slid his foot out. Sure enough, in a few inches his foot slid off the edge of a walkway. He stepped back quickly.
"You're pathetic plan is incredibly predictable." Zim continued with an ego-maniacal tone. Dib turned, suddenly afraid to even run for his life.
"Going after computers?" Zim taunted. "I figured you'd end up here. This does have the house's main computer."
Dib inwardly patted himself on the back for finding that bit of information out. It could help later on.
"In fact you're only a few feet from it," Zim told him. Dib turned to the side opposite the walkway edge. "But I wouldn't go near it. One jolt of that electricity should be enough to fry your gooey insides to a crisp."
Dib's body shuddered. He suddenly realized how dangerous this level could be...
Something landed heavily in front of him, producing a current of air that he felt only a second before the punch to his stomach. He stumbled backwards, and another fist connected with his face, sending him to the ground. His hand landed on nothing but air, and he slid as far from there as possible, stumbling back to his feet. He bumped into something and put his hand down to steady himself. There were things on what must have been a table. He picked one of them up and threw it. The sound of a quick footstep showed him he'd aimed fairly well. He threw another object, then another, trying to predict Zim's path. A third object was hurtled through the air and there was a large sound like electricity discharging. It had a crackle like lightning and a zapping sound, combined with Zim screaming.
"No. NO! Not now! Not to ZIM!"
Dib didn't care what was happening. He fell to his knees and crawled forward, using his hands to search for the edge of a walkway. Each time he found it he turned away. He was beginning to wonder if he'd ever find an exit when suddenly his face was slammed down into the metal. It was then pulled up by his hair. He felt Zim's breath blow on his ear, hot as the anger the Irken seemed to exude.
"Only a minor setback," he announced. "Because, unlike you, I can still see."
Dib wasn't sure what the minor setback was, but he definitely knew the Irken wasn't happy. He tried to twist around and grab Zim's arm, but the Irken threw him to the side. He slid to a stop, feeling his foot fall off an edge. Quickly he scrambled away - right towards Zim. He felt something solid connect with his chin, and he had a feeling his lip burst open again. He rolled over unintentionally and felt a knee land on his stomach. Hands wrapped around his throat.
"Perhaps it's time we end this game." Zim told him. Dib first tried to pry the hands from his throat, but they were too strong. Next he thought of the knife hidden in the side of his boot. He brought his leg up, bending the knee and hoping Zim wouldn't find it strange. He reached a hand out, at first clawing at Zim's face. Getting nowhere with that and growing desperate to breathe he finally reached out for his boot. His fingers brushed the edge of it, Zim's claws tightened, Dib pulled his knee up, suddenly aware that he had tears coming from his eyes, either that or blood...at this point he wouldn't have been surprised.
And then the claws seemed to loosen just slightly. Maybe Zim was tired, maybe he'd rethought his move. Dib didn't care. He used the extra centimeter of room and stretched all he could. His hand slid into his boot, grabbing the knife handle. He pulled it out, getting a better grip on it as he did. Then he quickly brought it towards the alien. Zim gave a loud yell and moved away. Dib gasped in a huge breath. It was then that he realized the knife had been left in Zim's side. He heard the Irken growl, heard him take a step closer and start to give a war-cry. Out of desperate instinct, Dib kicked out both his legs as hard as he could, straight up. He felt a foot connect with something. A clang sounded next to him and he lunged for it, cutting his hand on the knife but succeeding in getting it.
He threw the knife with all his might to the left of him. There was silence, then a clanging that sounded from below...He breathed a small sigh of relief that it had gone over the edge. He knew he wasn't strong enough to keep it for his own. The least he could do was make sure Zim didn't have it.
He felt a foot pound into his stomach, and he tried to get up and crawl away. He heard footsteps following him. They sounded deliberate, evil....and for a second Dib was more afraid of those footsteps then the creature that made them. His hand hit a wall. He moved sideways only to be hit with another wall. Turning back the way he'd come, he scrambled furiously in that direction. He didn't realize at first that the footsteps had stopped. His hand went off an edge. He backed into the corner the two walls made. If this was a dead end, that meant....
"You're trapped, worm-child." Zim gloated. "Trapped like the disgusting, inferior piece of meat you are."
Dib's pulse sped up. So did his breathing. He was shivering so bad he could hear his boots clicking quietly against the floor. He heard his own breath, too. Quivering and wavering with each inhalation and exhalation. He felt ill. He was sure he was going to throw up. He couldn't do that...Imagine the humiliation of dying that way. Dying?
"oh god..." he whispered.
"God cannot save you now." Zim stated firmly, his tone full of more malice than Dib had ever heard. Suddenly his hair was being pulled again, tilting his head back. His first thought was his exposed neck and another knife. Then he felt that hot air on his face again, smelled the heavy scent of the Irken's breath.
"Your life is in my hands now." Zim assured him. Dib's head was released, and he heard Zim step back. His mind shut down. His muscles reacted on their own. He lunged forward with a loud yell, and for one brief, glorious moment he felt stronger than Zim, stronger than the entire world. He felt nothing could touch him.
And then a fist slammed into his stomach. His arm was grabbed and he was spun around and sent right back to the corner, smashing into the metal wall and sliding down it to the ground. He held his shoulder. Being jerked around like that had hurt it. His muscles began to tremble even more. They were out of ideas. His brain was no help. It was hiding in the corner of his mind in a puddle of it's own fear induced waste. It clogged everything else. All Dib could do was shake.
The cruelest thing of all was how heightened his senses were now. He'd thought they were good before, but now he heard every little sound. All his own movements, even down to his sore joints squeaking in protest of the tremors. He heard Zim's breathing, sped up with the thrill of a hunt..and an impending kill..
He heard the slight rustle of the Irken's clothing. He would even have sworn he could hear the Irken's heartbeat - so strong, so unwaivering, so unlike his own right now...
And he heard every piece of machinery. Every whir and whistle and whoo and beep and crack and strain of metal. Even the ones below this level..and they sounded so close..What if they were?
A footstep sounded. It was insanely loud in Dib's ears. Another one. He felt Zim's breathing and heartbeat increase more as he grew closer, or maybe he was confusing Zim's body with his own. He was so disoriented...
A small, evil chuckle began, enveloping Dib's senses, calling his mind to cry out for an end to this. Something bad would happen. He knew it would. The alien was going to win. Zim was going to kill him..
'Never....' a small part of him whispered. The small part of his soul that housed his fighting spirit. It was bruised and buried and over-run with the emotions of every other part, but it was not giving up. It stood and shouted, echoing through Dib's entire body.
'I will never surrender to this!'
And Dib lunged out again, believing in nothing more than that voice. But this time he didn't lunge toward Zim. This time he jumped straight off the walkway. Air raced past him as he fell. It seemed as if it went on for hours. And in his mind he replayed all the times he'd told the Irken that he would never give in. And he hadn't. This may not be a victory for himself, but it was his own choice. It was his way, his control....and that meant Zim hadn't won.
Something seemed to wrap around him and a warmth pressed against his back. There was an abrupt stop and he felt his insides slam against the front part of his body as a loud metallic CHING sounded. He felt cold metal against his cheeks and hands as his body met the floor.
And then his mind went as black as his vision.
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(AN) Originally, I had thought of adding more to this story, but I think I kinda like leaving it off right here.